Understanding your dog

Dogs are generally really good communicators and can share how their feeling through their body language and behaviour. It's up to us to learn what they're saying, so we can help them and respond to them in the right way. 

A lot of a dogs body language can easily be mistaken for different feelings and emotions so it's also important to look at the dog as a whole and consider the whole picture.

Some signs that a dog is feeling comfortable include; a loose posture, a relaxed wagging tail, a soft expression and soft eyes with no signs of tension in the face or body.

Signs such as a tucked tail, flattened ears and growling are common, well-known indicators of a dog feeling unhappy, but most dogs will show much more subtle gestures that can often be missed before reaching this stage.

These less-obvious signals are called ‘appeasement gestures’ and can include;

*Remember that not all dogs will show ALL of these appeasement gestures and these gestures don't always mean that the dog is scared - it's important to consider the context.*

It’s also useful to know that a waggy tail isn’t always a happy tail, a stiff or frantic wag can indicate the dog is feeling unhappy!

Displacement behaviours

are often used by dogs to try and defuse any tension, to distract themselves or as a comfort. The behaviours are often ‘feel good’ behaviours so are replicated in times of stress.

Displacements are often shown by people! If we're feeling nervous or worried about something we might play with our sleeves, play with our hair or just try to busy ourselves with something normal to take our minds off what is causing us stress!

Dogs are just the same - if they feel worried or nervous they may sometimes do a normal doggy behaviour but out of context or to excess.

Some examples include:

You can spot if the dog is genuinely doing these behaviours because they are needed (they have an itch, they are tired, they are feeling playful etc) or if they are displacing instead by looking at the whole picture. Look out for appeasement gestures at the same time for more clues as to how your dog is feeling.

Zoomies or fidgeting can be a signs a dog is feeling playful and excited, but it can also be an indicator of stress. We see this a lot in puppy/adolescent dogs, but any age dog can show this response.

If a dog is worried or stressed they can actually become really bouncy or silly, perhaps gently grabbing you or toys nearby, what appears to be wanting to play chase (but may be avoidance) and just generally appearing excitable. It’s kind of like the dog is saying ‘I feel uncomfortable but I don’t know how to respond so I’ll do this to feel better and diffuse any tension!’

Dogs will often show that they are worried or unsure, simply by avoidance behaviours.

This may be really obvious such as skirting around the muzzle or refusing to come near it at all. Some dogs may be much more subtle and simply turn their head or gaze away from the muzzle.

If you find that your dog is avoidant, it is important to revisit the basics of building a positive association of muzzle = good stuff happening. You may need to start at a larger distance from the muzzle to begin with, and it’s important to remember that a dog ignoring or seeming disinterested in the muzzle doesn’t always mean they aren’t bothered by it!

Watching a dogs’ body language

Around the muzzle and during training will give you important information about how they're feeling. Sometimes dogs can have mixed emotions about things – including muzzles! This can mean reading their body language a little more complicated.

If a dog is conflicted around the muzzle/muzzle training, they may feel worried by the muzzle but eager to take part in the fun training. You may see signs of avoidance and displacement behaviours. The best way to deal with this situation is to give the dog the option to move away if they feel the need to, take a short break or revisit and earlier, easier step in muzzle training.

Further Reading

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